COLOMBIA: PROJECT MONITORING, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTROL CONSULTANT

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Project: Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) Program 
• Duty Station: Bogotá, Colombia
• Contract Duration: December 2024 – November 2025 
• Number of Workdays Estimated: expected 108 workdays
• Consultant Level: Level 4 – Daily Rate    
• Total Fees: 25.380 USD 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Based in Seoul, The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as green growth, which targets key aspects of economic performance such as poverty reduction, job creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. GGGI works with countries worldwide, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. The organization partners with countries, multilateral institutions, government bodies, and the private sector to help build economies that grow vigorously and are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change.

The Carbon Pricing Unit (CPU) of GGGI is implementing several programs related to scaling up international carbon trading, now covered by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. By opening these markets and the resultant flow of transactions it is envisaged a robust and reliable global price for carbon can be established, something many governments and private sector actors have long called for to motivate the transformational change needed to achieve the ambitious goals of Paris. GGGI’s Article 6 programs provide technical assistance and capacity building to government counterparts to improve their readiness for Article 6 engagement. These programs support the design of projects and policies for pilot transactions and strengthening of institutional frameworks required for their implementation.

The Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) Program, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German government, is a five year, 20M EUR program that began in 2022. Its objective is to use Article 6 (A6) cooperative approaches to engage the private sector in NDC implementation and to raise ambition. This will enable cost-efficient, flexible, high integrity carbon markets with positive sustainability impacts. Transformative design of A6 pilots for real transactions of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) will be enabled by research-based capacity building in four partner countries: Colombia, Pakistan, Thailand and Zambia. The program consists of six work packages, of which two are centrally managed and four are country driven. In the first two, best practice tools and approaches to implement cooperative mechanisms will be developed, underpinned by an international forum – the community of practice of Article 6 implementing countries (CoP-ASIC) - that brings together countries and practitioners, who share the common objective of raising ambition through markets. In-country implementation will focus on three areas of work in each of the four countries: 1) Long-term planning, 2) institutional readiness to transact and 3) pilot design and transactions. More than eight A6 pilot programs will be implemented in Colombia, Pakistan, Thailand and Zambia based on a toolbox of innovative guidance and approaches for transformative A6 design.

The program is implemented through a consortium led by GGGI and consisting of UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, Carbon Limits AS, GFA Consulting Group GmbH, and Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH. SPAR6C is supporting Colombia in developing its institutional, regulatory, and technical framework and capacities to embark on Article 6 transactions of ITMOs during the NDC implementation period 2020-2030 of Paris Agreement.

To support of the implementation of the Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) Program in Colombia, GGGI requires a professional with extensive technical and administrative skills, who supports to the SPAR6C Colombia manager in quality assurance and control and project monitoring and other project management planning tasks.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

GGGI is seeking a professional that support project monitoring, quality assurance and control of activities and deliverables of the IKI SPAR6C Program at GGGI Colombia and GGGI´s Carbon Pricing Unit.

SCOPE OF WORK

Under supervision of the GGGI Colombia Senior Officer – Policy Coordinator & SPAR6C Colombia Coordinator, the consultant will support the following activities of Article 6 preparedness and implementation in Colombia:

1. Preparation of work plan of activities in a coordinated manner with GGGI.
2. Assist the Colombia project manager in project management activities particularly in relation to development and monitoring of the annual operational plan and the timely completion of tasks by SPAR6C Colombia staff and consultants.
3. Support the technical development of the terms of reference required for individual consultants and consulting firms, after the development of technical assistance concept notes by the SPAR6C technical team.
4. Assist the Colombia project manager and CPU in the follow up of all procurement processes of consulting firms and the hiring of individual consultants for the SPAR6C Program in Colombia.
5. Support the quality control of technical deliverables by consultants and consulting firms ensuring the fulfillment of contractual obligations and GGGI-specific requirements to guarantee a standardized revision as a complement to the technical revision by contract supervisors.
6. Peer-review draft publications for comment and proofreading.
7. Support the strategic planning and monitoring of the implementation of the development of Article 6 transaction pilots.
8. Generate content suitable for concept notes, reports, presentations, and other support materials required by GGGI related to SPAR6C.
9. Work in tandem with the GGGI team to support preparedness for Article 6 in Colombia.
10. Carry out monthly reports of activities held through the consultancy.

REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The consultancy will be supervised by Senior Officer, Policy Coordinator and GGGI SPAR6C Colombia Project Manager, to ensure the timely and quality delivery of the products described in the contractual objectives. Follow up of activities will be done taking as reference the agreed working plan and further amendments as agreed.

• The consultant's work progress will be monitored primarily through periodic review meetings for planning, and biweekly meetings for prioritizing activities, changing in priorities and scope of deliverables/results. These review meetings will tackle subjects such as overview of contractual objectives, development of activities, detailed information milestones, actual achievements made against the timeline initially settled, and any other relevant progress details. The assessments will be carried out under the guidance of GGGI staff.
• The consultant will carry out the foreseen activities virtually, and in person as agreed in the workplan and during its progress. A presence in the GGGI office of at least 40% is required and attend virtual meetings with other programs regionally and globally.
• All products (documents with their annexes and infographics, diagrams, tables, and any graphic developed to facilitate understanding of technical contents) will be delivered in digital media, in open files that allow their edition.
• In terms of language, all reports and requested deliverables or products shall be in Spanish. The work plan and an executive summary (2-3 pages a word document and 5-slides PowerPoint document) at the end of the consultancy must be presented in both Spanish and English.
• The consultant must submit monthly progress reports in GGGI's standard template.
• All relevant technical documents, reports and other documents prepared from the beginning to the end of the consultancy will be attached to the Final Report.

SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY

The consultant is expected to have biweekly interactions with the Senior Officer, Policy Coordinator and GGGI SPAR6C Colombia Project Manager. The consultant will be asked to report progress in relation to contractual objectives, activities, and milestones during the meeting. The consultant shall support the GGGI team in internal and donor reports with respect to the topics of the consultancy. The consultant shall communicate any proposed deviation from the Workplan to the GGGI supervisor.

The consultant will participate in bi-weekly meetings of the Project Team.

During the period of contract the Project Manager could request any products or deliverables related to this consultancy support, the consultant will be expected to share and circulate a draft version of the document with the GGGI Project Manager, allowing at least two weeks to receive comments and feedback. Submission of final version must include a clean version as well as a tracked changes version (for MS Word documents) which includes responses to comments received.

Within the framework of the Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation Program, the consultant must promote and participate of discussions, technical inputs and proposals to support the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, acknowledging and taking into account the following objectives/activities of SPAR6C Program for Colombia:

• Develop a Strategy for Participation in Article for the Government of Colombia.
• Support Colombia in a strategic engagement in current and forthcoming bilateral agreements related to A6.
• CDM transition process to Article 6.4.
• Provide input and strategic advice for the COP-ASIC global and national program.
• Support the consolidation of arrangement with national universities to implement the COP-ASIC program in Colombia.
• Develop a technical evaluation of real projects with potential to participate in A6.2 and A6.4 carbon market.
• Support the identification and evaluation of the sectorial MRV systems to determine the potential for A6 participation.
• Support structuring of mitigation actions prioritized for Article 6.
• To generate skills, competences and knowledge appropriation on article 6 in different stakeholders that promote research, projects developers, decisions based on evidence, among other.
• Maintain the positioning of SPAR6C and GGGI with regards for A6 activities in Colombia; keep stakeholders up to date with the latest developments on A6.
• To promote studies and research of high impact on article 6 and its application in the Colombian framework that can be inputs and evidence for policy makers and decision makers.

EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The description of required expert may be split into following parts:

• (REQUIRED) Must be a Colombian citizen, or a foreigner holding a valid Work Visa.
• (REQUIRED) 5 – 8 years of relevant professional experience in environmental sciences, natural sciences, law, engineering, economics, international relations, business administration, journalism, among others.
• (REQUIRED) Master’s degree in relevant fields such as climate policy, sustainable development, environmental management, project management, economics or similar.
• (DESIRABLE) Project Management certifications, Quality Assurance and Quality Control certifications
• (DESIRABLE) Knowledge of green growth, climate change policy, carbon markets, involving both private and public with relevant experience on Policy development, implementation, and/or evaluation.
• (DESIRABLE) Experience with environment and development institutions, government entities and understanding of public policy development.
• (DESIRABLE) Previous experience in project monitoring and strategic planning,
• (DESIRABLE) Experience in quality assurance and/or quality control, document reviewing, auditing, validation or verification processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills, critical thinking, capacity for synthesis, presentation, and communication; and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Previous experience with GGGI is an asset.
• Organized with excellent time management and attention to detail.
• Strong and mature interpersonal skills and proven ability to work with teams.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (spoken and written).

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

• Selection method / process: Competitive Selection
• Required documentation: Application form, CV, and cover letter
• Timeline of the selection: 12 days
• Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English.